The Migration pilot Project is funded by the Australian Government until June 2011. The primary aim of the project is to enhance the capacity of sex worker peer educators in Australia to raise awareness of people trafficking issues amongst migrant sex workers, and decrease the vulnerability of migrant sex workers. To this end a A peer Migration Project Officer is available at the Scarlet Alliance national office two days a week to provide referrals, advice and information on laws including migration rights and responsibilities, services and access to justice, to sex worker peer educators in Australia to improve service delivery and peer education, including on people trafficking issues, to migrant sex workers. Training sessions and joint outreach trips with state sex worker organisations have occurred with more planned for the next 12 months.

On the 8th Dec 2009, 19 peer educators were supported to attend a National Migration Training in Sydney. This meeting then explored gaps in current peer education resources, with a view to informing the work of the project to produce documents to fill those gaps. The findings of this meeting have informed the resource development in the project with resources currently being developed . The resources also outline legislation which impacts on sex workers in Australia, Australian visa conditions, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals when dealing with or detained by Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and/or Australian Federal Police (AFP).All of these materials will be available in Chinese, Korean and Thai. A number of translated resources have already been uploaded onto the Scarlet Alliance website with many more on the way. By filling these resource gaps in appropriate languages, the capacity of sex worker peer educators is enhanced.

The project also works in partnership with Empower Foundation in Thailand to provide information and support on legal and migration rights and responsibilities to people considering travelling to Australia for sex work. The networking between Empower and Scarlet Alliance continues to develop a strong body of work for the two organisations including proposing peer education information solutions for outreach. The provision of information, education, referral and support both in Australia and Thailand enhances the capacity of Thai sex workers to make informed choices with the aim of eliminating the perceived need or dependence on third party “agents”, contracts or traffickers. A visit to Australia was organised for 2 representatives working on the project from Empower. During this visit networking events with the Australian Federal Police, Department of Immigration And Citizenship, Attorney-General’s Department, Anti-Slavery Project, Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans, Red Cross, Samaritan Accommodation, the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Commissioner, SWOP NSW and SIN in Adelaide were organised and facilitated by the Migration pilot Project. The networking endeavoured to afford those organisations involved in Australia’s anti trafficking response an opportunity to share information on their activities and to explore possibilities of working together to ensure appropriate support and outcomes for migrant sex workers at risk of being trafficked. The trip also provided a platform for Empower to share their experiences and issues as an organisation of sex workers directly affected by trafficking policy.

The Migration Research Project is funded by the Australian Institute of Criminology to conduct a survey of sex workers in Australia in Chinese, English, Korean and Thai, to fill the evidence gap in accurate, objective, primary research on sex workers in Australia and to identify any differences in health, access to services and law, and industrial conditions between migrant and non-migrant sex workers. Sex workers have been involved in every step of this research project which is based on the 2006/7 Zi Teng/ Scarlet Alliance research of Chinese sex workers in Australia.

Preparation included ethics approvals, MOU’s and partnerships. The collection is done by sex workers only with a number of whom speak Chinese, Korean or Thai. Peer collectors participate in a training session which covers basic outreach training and methodology to ensure confidentiality and consistent delivery of the survey. It is made clear to the participants the purpose of the survey and that it is voluntary, confidential and de-identified. Informed consent is obtained prior to commencement and a small contribution to recognise the time and expertise of the participants is provided.

Survey collection has been a great success and is continuing in brothels, private, street, massage establishments, clinics and at sex worker organisations until October 2010. Collection has already occurred in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Townsville and Brisbane. Collection in Canberra, Perth and Kalgoorlie has been planned for the next few months. Over 500 responses are expected and will be published in a report with translated summaries in Chinese, Korean and Thai. Both will be available in mid-2011 and will be used to better inform policy and service delivery and in making recommendations regarding access to justice and services for migrant sex workers and industrial conditions for sex workers in Australia.

A Migration Steering Committee involving Empower, Zi Teng in Hong Kong, peer educators in state sex worker organisations and sex workers from Chinese, Korean and Thai backgrounds helps guide and evaluate the entire project. It also provides an opportunity to exchange information and knowledge and to keep up to date with issues that affect the migrant sex worker community. This provides the project with a solid evidence- based policy to support our advocacy work and in delivering recommendations on anti-trafficking policy development and services. If you are a migrant sex worker in Australia, from Thai, Korean or Chinese background, you are eligible to participate in the Steering Committee, please contact Jules, Birdie or Miya at the Scarlet Alliance office to get involved! 02 9326 9455

updated 2 Dec 2010